West Virginia Striper Fishing

Fishing for striped bass in WV.

Striper Fishing Lakes In West Virginia

Beech Fork Lake, Bluestone Lake, East Lynn Lake and Mt Storm Lake are the primary waters for stripers in WV. Rivers flowing into and out of these lakes may also have a few stripers. The West Virginia state record striped bass came out of Bluestone Lake.

While stripers are native to salt water, they naturally migrate into fresh water streams to spawn. Their eggs must remain in motion in order to hatch so the fresh water rivers and streams become the ideal spawning grounds for stripers. Landlocked stripers then populate the lakes.

By clicking on the images and links above, you will be taken to a page offering more information about stripers.

Fishing for Stripers in West Virginia

When fishing for stripers concentrate on the deeper waters in the lake. If you can locate schools of shad, stripers are often close by. When the baitfish are shallow over the deep water, you can catch stripers on crankbaits or by swimming spoons at appropriate depths. Check West Virginia fishing reports for current striper information. And for the ultimate thrill try large topwater baits if you see any surface feeding action. When the stripers are deep, jigs and jigging spoons work well. Live and cut bait will also take striped bass when they are in medium to deeper water. Fish nearby or in the river channel if it is a defined depth change. Trolling is also an excellent way to fish for stripers. Use flashy lures in bigger sizes.

Learn the migration of stripers

The more you know about the seasonal migration of striped bass, the more likely you are to be looking in the right area next time you visit West Virginia striper fishing lakes. Visit the striped bass fishing page for more in-depth information about striper movements.